Italy’s guardians of construction surely will be out in force in Brisbane’s inner-city Newstead with the shovels hitting dirt on the first stage of a $1.5-billion triple-tower mixed-use precinct.

That’s assuming the unique cultural tradition has translated into a local brigade of what is the building industry’s equivalent of train spotters.

The “umarelli”—as they are known—are retired Italian men who spend their days around construction sites with their hands clasped behind their backs, inspecting the progress and often giving unsolicited advice to the workers.